Have you ever eaten something for the first time and it’s so good you want to buy more, or make more and just have it all the time?

I’m pretty sure the answer to that question is yes. Right? We’ve all been there. I’ve been there many times.

Years ago, I bought a package of hot cross buns from the grocery store. Yes, store bought hot cross buns. I KNOW.

Store bakery hot cross buns are not known for being the best tasting things, but these were different. They weren’t made at the store, they were brought in from a very high quality outside bakery.

So they had to be better, right? They so were. They were perfect.

The Perfect Hot Cross Buns

They were so fresh and soft and had big flavour bursting through every bite. I think the package came with six buns and we finished them up really quickly.

I went back a few days later and bought another package. Shh, don’t judge.

We made our way through those as well but I didn’t go back right away to get more. Instead, I waited until it was grocery day. Grocery day came along and as I stepped through the store doors, the first place I headed to was the bakery section.

I went over to the area where the buns were found, but no hot cross buns in sight. Maybe they had moved them?

I searched, but couldn’t find them anywhere. I went over to the bakery counter and asked when they would be getting more. The woman I spoke with said they weren’t getting any more shipped in, that was it.

Sadness. No more of those heavenly hot cross buns.

I checked back the year after in the weeks leading up to Easter and the year after that and they were never to be found again. I’ve never had them since.

I did cut out the ingredient list from one of the packages I bought and have held on to it all these years. Since Easter is almost here, those hot cross buns came to mind again.

It was time to dig out that ingredient list I’ve kept for so many years ago and make my own vegan hot cross buns.

Of course, an ingredient list does not list measurements, so I had to figure those things out for myself.

Those original buns were also not vegan, so that was another thing to figure out.

You will find that my recipe is not for “traditional” hot cross buns. They’re not loaded with mixed fruit peel and they do not have the flour paste crosses on top.

These are my take on those buns I enjoyed so many years ago.

Overall, I think my results are pretty amazing. I didn’t grow up having hot cross buns at Easter, so it’s not a tradition for me but I think after making these buns, I need to make it a tradition! They’re that good.

But don’t only make vegan hot cross buns at Easter. They can be made year-round to enjoy at breakfast, brunch, or just to have around to enjoy as a snack or with tea, coffee, or a vegan hot chocolate.

These vegan hot cross buns are fluffy, they’re bursting with raisins and currants, and they’re just so, so good.

They also have that classic hit of citrus flavour from the orange and lemon zest and the cinnamon and nutmeg complete them and make all the flavours balance perfectly.

They’re also not too sweet but the icing crosses on top gives them a nice little burst of sweetness. It’s totally not needed though, so if you want to leave the crosses off, go ahead!

I have made them with and without the icing crosses and they’re perfect either way.

If you leave the crosses off, you can just call them Easter sweet rolls! And when you make them any other time of the year, let’s call them sweet rolls!

And hey, if you aren’t vegan and you’ve made it this far down, don’t dismiss this recipe!

Just because it doesn’t contain eggs, milk, and butter like a traditional hot cross buns recipe would, doesn’t mean a thing.

You won’t miss those ingredients at all and I’m pretty sure those you share these with won’t know the difference!

If you like this vegan hot cross buns recipe, you’ll also like these recipes no one would ever guess are vegan, too!

Put stand mixer bowl in place, add 2 more cups of flour and using the dough hook, set the mixer to knead.

If the dough is sticky, add flour 1/2 cup at a time.

Let mixer knead dough for about 4 minutes and until it is no longer sticky. In the last minute of mixing, add the raisins and currants to incorporate them.

Lightly oil the inside of a medium-sized bowl.

Remove dough from mixer bowl and place into the oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Line an 11" x 13" pan with parchment paper. Allow an overhang on each side so they can be easily removed from the pan when done.

After the hour has passed, punch the dough down and knead for a few seconds to get rid of any air pockets.

Separate the dough into 12 equal sized pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball and place each one into the parchment lined pan. It's OK if they are close together.

Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot. Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Make the vegan "egg" wash...

Mix the unsweetened non-dairy milk and the maple syrup together.

After the rolls have rested, using a pastry brush, brush the vegan egg wash over each bun.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes in pan.

Remove buns using parchment paper overhang as handles and place onto a cooling rack. The buns will have joined together while rising/baking. Do not separate them yet.

While cooling, make the icing...

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and unsweetened non-dairy milk to a small bowl. Mix well until it has all combined to form a thick icing. Place into a piping bag with a very small tip or a small ziplock bag. If using a ziplock bag, snip off one of the bottom corners.

Once the buns have cooled, pipe the icing onto the buns to make the crosses. (3 horizontal lines and 4 vertical lines)

Recipe Notes:

I use my stand mixer to knead the dough, if you don't have a stand mixer, you can still make this, just knead by hand.

If you don't have currants, replace them with more raisins or if you don't want to add more raisins, omit the currants.

Wait until the buns have fully cooled to add the icing crosses on top or the icing will melt.

Store in an airtight container for a few days. If you know you will not be able use up all of them within a few days, only put the icing crosses on the ones you know will be eaten quickly. If you add the icing too far in advance and then store, the icing will melt and soak into the buns.

Buns will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

Nutrition info includes icing. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.

Nutrition Info:

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Thought I’d take a crack at making some hot cross buns this year for myself even though I absolutely LOVE supermarket ones (no judgement pls) – these came out BLOODY AMAZING! Super easy steps to follow, easy to adjust to your liking (I’m a fruit free girl, but I wanna try these with chocolate chips as well). I’m a total convert. Homemade hot cross buns don’t have that slightly preservative-y taste. Even my non-cake eating boyfriend had one fresh out of the oven! I’ll be using this recipe every year – thank you! (also happy I can now have hot cross buns at any time of the year knowing I have a foolproof recipe hahaha)

Hi Hannah! Ha! No judgment on the store bought stuff. I used to love them too until I started making them myself 🙂 I’m so happy you love this recipe so much! I have has a few other people tell me they made them with chocolate chips too, I will have to try that, it sounds delicious! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note, I appreciate it. Enjoy the recipe, year round 🙂

Hi Miriam, the issue, more than likely, has to do with your yeast and/or the time period that the buns spent proofing. I’ll go through the possible issues so if you try again, you can keep these things in mind and end up with a beautiful batch of hot cross buns.

1. Your yeast could have been expired. Be sure to check the best before date and if you want to be extra sure, you can test it before using. Watch this video, it will show you how to test your yeast to be sure it’s active 2. The water you used to proof the yeast was either too cold or too hot. The water needs to be in the perfect temperature range in order for the yeast to activate. If it’s too cold, it will do nothing, too hot and it will kill the yeast. I don’t use a thermometer for this but you can if you’d like. If you do use one, be sure that the water temperature is 110F-115F. I use tap water and I make sure it’s warm. 3. The milk you added was too hot. 4. The area you placed the dough to rise in was not warm enough. The dough needs to rest in a warm place in order for the yeast to keep working. Always be sure to place it in a spot that is warm and has no drafts. I like to put my dough in the oven with the door closed and the light on. This keeps things warm enough to make the yeast happy. 5. The dough was not given enough time to rise…did you let it sit for at least an hour for the first rise and another 20 minutes or so for the second?

Those are the major things that come to mind when trying to troubleshoot what went wrong with the info you’ve given. But I’m pretty sure that it’s one of the things above. I hope you try again, the buns are definitely not supposed to come out dense, they should be fluffy, so there was a little mishap along the way. I hope all of this helps, Miriam. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

I had the same issue with no rising. They are still delicious, but too dense and unless warmed seem a tad stale. But still DELISH. Thanks for adding the above I do think maybe my water was not hot enough after watching the video I did not have that foaming at all. 2) perhaps my area to warm was not warm enough. I keep my house a bit on the chilly side. Will try again for sure, mine have a more rustic look about them Which I actually like, and I think I would leave off the icing and have it as a side option for people to choose if they want or not and then it allows you to warm it and or toast them like I do the store bought ones. I think the lemon and orange zest make this a winner.

Hi Lainey! Sorry you had trouble with the proofing. I would suggest that you look at all the same things I mentioned to the reader here in the comments who had similar issues. I am pretty certain it had to do with the proofing stage of the recipe or possibly had something to do with the yeast you were using. Despite the recipe not turning out how it was supposed to, I am glad you are able to still enjoy them. I hope you try again! Take care 🙂

There are some things as a vegan of more than ten years I’ve just missed. Well I can cross Hot Cross Buns off the list! These came out way better than any I’ve ever purchased! Fragrant with the orange and lemon, seasoned with the cinnamon and nutmeg with the perfect texture! The maple glade did not leave a taste, but rather a perfect sheen that has been missing in all my baked goods since going vegan. My only issue was a slight sticking to the parchment because I did not use any thing to prevent that, I thought the parchment would not stick, but the recipe is low in fats so perhaps that is why. Thanks Gwen!

Gwen… O. M. G. These are INCREDIBLE! Absolute PERFECTION!! Seriously. No words can do these justice! Can’t believe you created these from an ingredient list that is crazy! You’re brilliant. I did alter it a bit, although almond milk is a staple for me … so that my peanut allergy little brother would be able to have them I just used water. I also used Lakanto in place of sugar, melted vegan butter in place of the oil and added some cardamom! I love that stuff, lol. Uh, so so so SOOO good! Thank You for sharing this amazing recipe!

Hi Alison! You’re welcome 🙂 I’m so happy you love them so much! And I’m glad they turned out so well with your modifications. It’s a good thing I’m stubborn because yes, it was a bit of a challenge coming up with my own recipe with just an ingredient list, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. Thanks for your kind words and for taking the time to leave me a message, much appreciated.

We tried so many hot cross buns recipes this week. Some were initially vegan, some we had to make that way with substitutes. This one was a clear winner with me and my 6&4 year olds. We gave them to friends too, but didn’t say vegan – they loved them too! We didn’t like the heavy clove flavor that resulted in some other recipes; this one is delicately spiced and hits just the right note with the sweet icing. The texture is good, and I know from making these last year that they keep well for days (if you make enough that they aren’t inhaled in a day!) and also freeze well without icing. Thanks!

Hi Gwen! Thanks for the Recipe! I’m planning on making these for Good Friday. I’m a vegetarian but looking to transition and working on ALL THE RECIPES 🙂 This looks great and I LOVE Hot cross buns! They are my favorite thing about Good Friday! Did you know there’s a superstition that a hot cross bun baked and eaten on Good Friday is good luck? Another that it won’t mold if you hang it from the rafters (I decided not to try that one!) Thanks again! Jess

Hi Jessie! I agree with you that hot cross buns are the best thing about the upcoming holiday! I did not know about the good luck superstition or the one about hanging them from the rafters! I won’t be trying that one, either 🙂 Fun and interesting facts, thanks for sharing them. And a little good luck is always a good thing! Let me know how it goes when you make the recipe, I’m anxious for you to try them, enjoy!

Hi May! I have been working on a vegan gluten free hot cross buns recipe but have not found the right combination just yet. As soon as I figure it out, I will share the recipe. This recipe has not worked with any of my go-to gluten-free blends as a 1 to 1 substitution, so I would not recommend using a gf flour as a substitution since there are other changes that will have to be made. If you make this version, let me know how it goes!

I recently gave up dairy for my newborn who has an allergy and was excited to find this recipe. I was a little skeptical but whipped these together and they are a winner! I mean, seriously so delicious and the perfect texture. Thank you!

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